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The Sunshine Island, the Fortress Island, the Mediterranean Melting Pot; the variety of nicknames for Malta are all born out of the variety of people who fall in love with the place every year. If you’re next in line to be serenaded by this tiny holiday spot, then rent a car so you can get to know the entire island.
Malta’s coastline is approximately 135km in circumference – you can drive around it in less than three hours. That in itself is worth hiring a car for because every corner of the island has something unique to witness, enjoy or photograph. This post covers three, unique sanctuaries in Malta, which you can easily reach by car:
Hot sand underfoot…
A surf-washed Imgiebah Bay waits for you in Selmun, one of Malta’s hidden beach towns. The sand is coved by two rocky precipices, isolating you from the rest of the world and allowing you to look out into the raw Mediterranean Sea. Blocked from the wind, this suntrap is the best place to play some games on the beach or relax with a paperback – a perfect start to your Malta holiday.
Imgiebah Bay is just 40 minutes away from Malta International Airport, if you travel by car.
When it rains…
St John’s Co-Cathedral is listed number one on pretty much every holidaymaker’s list of places to see in Malta. When you arrive, it’s little wonder why – the floor is made of marble tombstones and the whole of the interior is designed with such intricacy, it is like one giant masterpiece.
The building stands proud in the L-Isla region, just a 15 minute drive from the airport. This area of the island is primarily dockland and the inevitable mix of culture that comes with that makes L-Isla one of the best places in Malta to meet fellow travellers and pick up some ideas on where to go next.
Real Mediterranean Food…
The island may be small but the islanders have an appetite as big as you can imagine – and they have a passion for flavour…particularly spice, so when the waiter asks you if you’d like any more water, always say ‘yes’, or ‘iva’.
One of the best restaurants on the island, L’Artist, is tucked into the city of Silema on the north-east coast. You know it’s good when the waiter confidently offers a starter of mushroom and strawberry soup – any chef that can mix those ingredients together and create one of the tastiest dishes you’ll ever experience, is just world class. Tuck in to a fillet steak for your main here, it’s cooked to perfection on lava stones and has that smoky charred taste on the outside. You can finish with a roasted house coffee before retiring back to your hotel for the night.
Your Malta holiday…
There is so much else to discover on this island and by car, you’re welcome to it all.
About the author: Mia Sullivan is a freelance writer for some of UK’s top travel agencies. She began her career as an international travel reporter after working for Local Newspapers and NGO’s in Eastern Europe. With a background in International Politics and Journalism, her stories shine a light on the most famous and hidden travel sites in the world.
